Carlsbad’s new air carrier in battle with FAA

JSX, other public charters claim FAA proposal at the behest of 2 major airlines and labor unions would legislate public charters out of business

Carlsbad’s newest public charter air carrier, JSX, and other public charter air carriers are locked in a fight with the FAA over proposed regulation changes JSX says would “legislate” them out of business. Courtesy photo

CARLSBAD — Amid JSX’s announcement it has relocated operations from San Diego International Airport to McClellan-Palomar Airport, the air carrier is locked in a fierce battle with the Federal Aviation Administration, major airlines and labor unions.

The issue stems from SkyWest Airline, which plans to create SkyWest Charter, to operate flights under fewer regulations than major carriers. JSX, which services Las Vegas and will begin service to Taos, N.M., on Dec. 14 from Carlsbad, is also a target of opponents, according to Chief Executive Officer Alex Wilcox.

The FAA released a notice of intent (NOI) earlier this year, which would “regulate” JSX out of business, Wilcox said in an email to customers last month. Supporters of the proposal say JSX and SkyWest are exploiting loopholes and compromising safety.

Those supporters include Southwest, American airlines, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), whose efforts also include lobbying officials at the FAA, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and elected officials in Washington, D.C.

Under current regulations, charter operator pilots are not required to have 1,500 hours to become a first officer along with, rest rules, mandatory retirement at 65 and maintenance of safety risk management systems, according to a story in Bloomberg.